There's no shortage of during the holiday season! After cutout sugar cookies and gingerbread men, there's one recipe that isn't celebrated nearly enough at the the : classic spritz cookies. Buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, they're easily made cute with all kinds of . Plus, they can be made ahead and frozen before decorating for up to a month—a major bonus during the craze of the holidays. Invite children into the kitchen to decorate these bite-sized cookies with for Santa.
What are spritz cookies?
Spritz cookies are crisp, sweet and buttery. They have similarities to both crispy sugar cookies and shortbread. The dough is not refrigerated, and rather than being rolled out and stamped with cookie cutters, it goes through a cookie press to create uniform, sometimes intricate, shapes.
What is the secret to making spritz cookies?
Beyond having a cookie press, there are a couple small steps you can take to ensure spritz cookie success.
- Start with room temperature ingredients: Making sure your butter is softened and egg is at room temperature. This will result in a better dough that's much easier to work with.
- Add almond extract. Subtle and not always easy to identify, it 'll make everyone wonder, "What's in these cookies?! "
- Be patient: Using a cookie press can take some practice. If you stamp out cookies and don't like the way they look, scrape them off the tray and add them back to your bowl of dough to press with the next batch.
What is the difference between spritz and butter cookies?
These cookies are nearly identical, except for one ingredient: egg. Egg makes the Spritz cookie dough a bit easier to work with, but it also helps the cookies keep their shape when baked.
Should you use parchment paper when baking spritz cookies?
Absolutely! It's never a bad idea to line your baking sheets with parchment paper before baking cookies. It's a sure-fire way to keep cookies from sticking and it makes for easy cleanup.
